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| A newfangled news tangle |
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Colleagues defend Berger in documents probe CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former colleagues Tuesday defended former national security adviser Samuel Berger from allegations that he took secret documents from the National Archives while reviewing Clinton administration records for the 9/11 commission. | |
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Pie: Link. The 9/11 Commission seems to be doing its darndest to keep their report non-partisan. Joe Gandelman: It doesn't make any difference how many of his colleagues or friends vouch for him. How could a pro be so careless?? James Joyner: Berger: It's All About the Socks — CNN - Colleagues defend Berger in documents probe (printer friendly) "Sources said... |
Kevin Drum: SANDY BERGER....Sandy Berger continues to be the top story on CNN: [snipped quote] I too want this ruffian to come forward. Steven Taylor: Socks II — CNN is also reporting the socks bit, and this is more detail than this morning: [snipped quote] Most strange. Jonah Goldberg: From CNN: [snipped quote] Of course, being cleared of the sock-stuffing is not exactly getting cleared. |
| Also: Captain Ed, Roger L. Simon, Betsy Newmark, C. D. Harris | |
CLINTON SAYS BERGER-DOCUMENTS FUROR IS JUST POLITICS: 'WE WERE ALL LAUGHING ABOUT IT' Drudge Report — Permalink Former president Bill Clinton defends his embattled national security advisor as a man who "always got things right," even if his desk was a mess. "We were all laughing about it," Clinton said about the investigation into Sandy Berger for taking classified terrorism documents from the National Archives. | |
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Mathew Gross: The Timing of Berger — The Big Dog weighs in: [snipped quote] It's terrible timing, to be precise. Roger L. Simon: Clinton Not Doing Kerry Any Favors — In a DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2004... this one from the Denver Post, so I guess it's... Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER UPDATE: Clinton knew months ago, but Kerry didn't? As Roger Simon notes, Clinton isn't doing Kerry any favors here. |
Tully @Centerfield: Berger — Geez, I hate to cite Drudge, but... I made a bet today with a Democratic Party candidate I'm currently working... Andrew Sullivan: Meanwhile, Clinton thinks the possible leaking of classified information is just hilarious. About as hilarious as his anti-terror policy. James Joyner: Clinton: Laughing About It — Matt Drudge [snipped quote] Unbelievable. |
| Also: Captain Ed | |
FBI Probes Berger for Document Removal WaPo — Permalink The FBI is investigating Clinton administration national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger's removal of classified documents from the National Archives, attorneys for Berger confirmed last night. | |
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Steve M.: Washington Post The haters who pursued Clinton for eight years worked and worked and worked, patiently trying to build a case that could destroy him. Daniel Drezner: The Washington Post has more details. Andrew Sullivan is "gob-smacked." Josh Marshall finds it "inexplicable," while Glenn Reynolds says it's "bizarre." Josh Marshall: According to this article in the Post, the National Archives began investigating this matter in October and then referred it to the FBI in January. |
Matthew Yglesias: Berger — Well, taking classified documents out of the archives is illegal whether it was done intentionall or not, so I... Jan Haugland: The mainstream media isn't over it to a comparable degree, but you'll find the story in e.g AP and also WaPo:President... Steve Soto: The Washington Post story on this even points out that the FBI hasn't even interviewed Berger yet, nor do they consider... |
| Also: Hugh Hewitt, Steven Taylor, Captain Ed, James Joyner, Michelle Malkin | |
AP: Berger Steps Down As Kerry Adviser By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Former national security adviser Sandy Berger, the subject of a criminal investigation over the disappearance of terrorism documents, stepped aside on Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. | |
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Joe Gandelman: National Security Groin Pains — Former national security adviser Sandy Berger quit Tuesday as an informal adviser to... C. D. Harris: Since Timing Is The Real Issue... So, Sandy Berger has stepped down as an advisor to John "Weeble" Kerry. James Joyner: Berger Steps Down As Kerry Adviser — AP - Berger Steps Down As Kerry Adviser [snipped quote] We knew that was coming. |
Glenn Reynolds: THE KERRY CAMPAIGN has shed Sandy Berger but Ed Morrissey says that the New York Times is spinning the resignation. Captain Ed: Kerry Gives Berger The Boot — The Kerry campaign acted with uncharacteristic haste to distance itself from the debacle... Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: According to the AP, Berger's gone. Things certainly move fast in the nation's capital these days. |
| Also: The Big Trunk, Bird Dog | |
AP: Berger Probed for Taking 9/11 Memos AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger (search), is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission (search) hearings, The Associated Press has learned. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Sounds that way: "Berger's home and office were searched earlier this year by FBI (search) agents armed with warrants... Jonah Goldberg: Maybe. But it's now being reported that Berger shoved the stuff in his socks. His socks. Smash: So it always floors me when I read something like this. [snipped quote] If I ever did something like this, I would not only lose my job, but I'd almost certainly go to prison. |
Donald Sensing: Update: Has anyone reading ever stuffed documents (or anything else, for that matter) into your socks inadvertently? Daniel Drezner: Also, David Gergen said the following in the Fox News story: "David Gergen, who was an adviser to Clinton and worked... Betsy Newmark: As far as I can tell, only FOX has this tantalizing detail. |
| Also: Captain Ed, Jon Henke, Roger L. Simon, C. D. Harris, B.C, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Bird Dog, James Joyner | |
Berger Steps Down From Kerry Campaign By / Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger (search) announced Tuesday that he would no longer serve as an informal adviser to John Kerry (search) in his race for the White House, after reports revealed Berger is the subject of a criminal investigation over the disappearance of terrorism documents. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: READER MICHAEL GREENSPAN makes this obvious, but important, point regarding the Sandy Berger story: [snipped quote] Yes. Tom Maguire: Sand-Berg SquarePants Steps Down From Kerry Campaign — So says Fox. Why is the first quote on the political impact from a Republican? Daniel Drezner: LAST UPDATE: Berger has announced he won't be advising the Kerry campaign. Sounds about right. |
Dale Franks: The secret of Sandy Berger's Pants — With the deepest sorrow, John Kerry's campaign is pushing Sandy Berger overboard. James Joyner: See also: Fox News - Berger Steps Down From Kerry Campaign |
AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Clinton 's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned. | |
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H.D. Miller: Inadvertent? See what I mean, farce. [snipped quote] In his pants? Daniel Drezner: So Sandy Berger is in a spot of trouble, according to John Solomon's AP report: "Sandy Berger, former President... Jon Henke: Sandy "G Gordon" Berger — At this point, I'm not entirely sure what to make of the charges against Sandy Berger. |
Max B. Sawicky: BERGER IN FOR GRILLING — I never liked him anyway. Madeleine either. Defense of the Kosova trip (which I supported) was demagogic. Hugh Hewitt: This is huge. Why would Berger steal classified handwritten notes? C. D. Harris: And That's All I Have To Say About That — Sandy Berger, of all people, should know better than to "inadvertently" remove classified documents from their secure storage. |
| Also: Robert Clayton Dean, Joe Gandelman, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Josh Marshall, Christopher Kanis, Blackfive, Michelle Malkin, Captain Ed, The Big Trunk, Glenn Reynolds, Betsy Newmark, Charles Johnson | |
The Arabian Candidate By / NYT — Permalink In the original version of "The Manchurian Candidate," Senator John Iselin, whom Chinese agents are plotting to put in the White House, is a right-wing demagogue modeled on Senator Joseph McCarthy. As Roger Ebert wrote, the plan is to "use anticommunist hysteria as a cover for a communist takeover." | |
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Stefan Beck: What of Paul Krugman, though? Is he a member of the Tinfoil Helmet Martyrs Brigade? Kevin Raybould: Luskin's head is Going to Explode — Krugman is on today: [snipped quote] Thing is — he is correct. Ezra Klein: First, Krugman skewers the idea that Bush has been tough on terror. |
Jon Henke: So, when Paul Krugman suggests that "nothing in Mr. Bush's record would make [the terrorists] unhappy at the prospect of four more years", the Democrats denounce that, as well. Edward _: This all came rushing back to me as I read Paul Krugman's column this morning. I can't believe his editor didn't convince him to tone it down a bit. Kevin T. Keith: Krugman Smokes Out the Al Qaeda Infiltrator — Paul Krugman pulled out all the stops today in his New York Times column. |
| Also: Steve Gilliard, Pie, Mitch Berg, Mary InLosGatos, Natasha @PacificViews, Tbogg, Susan Madrak | |
Report: Michael Jackson to Be Father of Quadruplets Reuters — Permalink LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Michael Jackson, facing a trial on child molestation charges, is about to become a father to four more children — quadruplets — by way of a surrogate mother, Us Weekly magazine reported on Tuesday. | |
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McQ: Oh man ... does this guy ever go away? [snipped quote] His fascination with children goes beyond normal to obsessive. H.D. Miller: And thus it ends: the news of the day sprialling downward into a pathetic and disturbing finale. [snipped quote] Creepy moron. Allah: Suddenly, selective reductions don't sound so bad. |
Damian Penny: He's not real. We just made him up to scare children Michael Jackson is...oh, you read it. Joe Gandelman: Oh, please, God, make him go away, anywhere (with or without bars)...A magazine reports that Michael Jackson who is... Jonah Goldberg: DISGUSTING — Michael Jackson is going to have quadruplets. I'm refraining from the dirty jokes. |
Part II: Terror in the Skies, Again? By / WomensWallStreet — Permalink Last Tuesday morning, WomensWallStreet.com (WWS) published my first-person account of a recent Northwest Airlines flight that I took from Detroit to Los Angeles called "Terror in the Skies, Again?" | |
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Tbogg: Annie Jacobsen said that the investigators couldn't even say what kind of instruments the musicians were carrying... Daniel Drezner: Following up on Annie Jacobsen — Since I'm already blogging on homeland security today, I should point out that Annie... KJL: TERROR IN THE SKIES, PART II — Annie Jacobsen has a follow-up piece on the Syrian musicians. |
Dean Esmay: Some cast doubt on her story. Today she answers her critics and has more to say. Christopher Kanis: TERROR IN THE SKIES, PART II — Annie Jacobsen has a followup. I won't have time to read it until tonight. Glenn Reynolds: TERROR IN THE SKIES, UPDATE: Here's another piece by Annie Jacobsen. It's worth reading in connection with this post by Daniel Drezner. |
| Also: The Big Trunk, Charles Johnson, Michelle Malkin | |
Berger under investigation for taking classified memos By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: UPDATE: Thanks to commenter Keef, I see the 9-11 Commission saying that whatever Berger did it in no way impacted their... Robert Cox: Despite Pete Williams reports that Berger was observed secreting documents in his clothing, was confronted about the... Laura Rozen: This case makes one just scratch one's head. |
Tim Dunlop: UPDATE: Berger has now quit as a Kerry adviser. Apparently Bush is still President. Tom @Corrente: Republican Noise / Distraction Machine kicks into high gear — Anyone else find the Sandy Berger story a bit, um,... Virginia Postrel: BUMBLING BERGER I'm willing to believe that Sandy Berger had no nefarious motives when he walked out of a secure reading... |
| Also: James Joyner | |
Clinton adviser probed about removing classified terror memos USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — Samuel Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser, is the focus of a criminal investigation into whether he improperly removed notes and classified documents from the National Archives during preparations for hearings by the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks. | |
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Blackfive: Today, the headlines read Clinton Aide Investigated on Terror Memos or Clinton Adivsor Probed. Steve Soto: Even David Gergen thinks the timing is suspect of the comments from government officials on this non-story. John J. Miller: BERGER KING — K Lo: How does someone "inadvertently" remove documents from the National Archives? Can shoplifters now use this excuse? |
The Big Trunk: I'm on the road today as usual, and I learned about the Berger investigation from my hotel copy of USA Today. Howard Kurtz: "The AP has popped an odd but intriguing story: "President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the... James Joyner: USA Today - Clinton adviser probed about removing classified terror memos — Basically a rewrite of the AP wire material... |
Soviet Icon Lenin Died of Syphilis-Experts Say By / Reuters — Permalink BEERSHEBA, Israel (Reuters) - There were whispers in the Kremlin and salons of Europe for decades but it was never more than idle gossip until a team of Israeli doctors announced that they had solved an 80-year-old medical mystery. | |
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Gary Farber: SO PRECIOUS IT MUST BE RATIONED. Hey, if true, at least Lenin wasn't poisoned. Pejman Yousefzadeh: THANKS, BUT WE PRETTY MUCH KNEW THERE WAS A SCREW LOOSE — They needed medical experts to tell us this? Damian Penny: This explains a lot — Lenin had serious mental disorders brought on by syphilis: There were whispers in the Kremlin and... |
H.D. Miller: The Pox — Ladies and gents, it's a bumper crop of farce [snipped quote] Diseased moron. KJL: LENIN DIED OF SYPHILIS |
The real deal By / San Diego Union-Tribune — Permalink Other singers may have a greater passion for music than Linda Ronstadt. But few have a greater passion for more types of music, or the willingness to perform them, even at the risk of falling on her face. "I've done that a couple of times," acknowledged Ronstadt with a knowing chuckle. | |
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Charles Johnson: Ronstadt: America = Weimar Republic — Linda Ronstadt is a delicate flower, whose artistic concentration can be easily disrupted by the presence of the wrong kind of fan. Captain Ed: Today's Hollywood Consistency Moment — The San Diego Union-Tribune brings us today's Hollywood Consistency Award... |
Betsy Newmark: Drudge links to this inanity by Linda Ronstadt. [snipped quote] So, she likes to force her political opinions on her audience who just came to hear her sing. |
Berger Resigns as Informal Kerry Adviser By / AP — Permalink Former national security adviser Sandy Berger, the subject of a criminal investigation over the disappearance of terrorism documents, stepped aside on Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: The Washington Post reports this morning that "A government official with knowledge of the probe said Berger removed... Stefan Sharkansky: The Washington Post improves upon the AP headline to help Kerry distance himself from Berger: "Berger Resigns as Informal Kerry Adviser". |
Lambert @Corrente: And now Berger is gone from the Kerry campaign. But for Berger to apologize for being "sloppy"?! Dammit, we can't afford to be sloppy! |
Fox News sued over 'fair and balanced' Long Beach Press-Telegram — Permalink NEW YORK — Fox News' use of the slogan "Fair and Balanced' constitutes deceptive advertising, two political advocacy groups claimed Monday in a petition filed with the Federal Trade Commission. | |
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Jonathan H. Adler: MoveOn.org and the "historically nonpartisan" Common Cause have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission... Michelle Malkin: LABEL THIS — So, MoveOn.org and Common Cause are suing FOX News to stop them from using the slogan "Fair and Balanced." |
QD @SouthernAppeal: "Fair and Balanced": According to this story, moveon.org and the "historically nonpartisan" Common Cause (hey, that's... |
Clinton Aide Took Classified Material By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 19 - President Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Samuel R. Berger, removed classified security documents from the National Archives while vetting them in preparation for testimony before the Sept. 11 commission and has become the subject of a criminal investigation, his lawyer said Monday night. | |
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Steve Soto: The AP reported last night that Berger through his attorney had admitted to removing classified security documents from... Captain Ed: UPDATE: The New York Times' Mark Glassman doesn't just spin the story, he sanitizes it. |
Roger L. Simon: Meanwhile, the NYT, isn't must better, devoting only a few bland graphs, but at least written by their own reporter. James Joyner: NYT - Clinton Aide Took Classified Material [no RSS] The piece contains no new information and, indeed, rather notably... |
Terror in the Skies, Again? By / WomensWallStreet — Permalink Note from the E-ditors: You are about to read an account of what happened during a domestic flight that one of our writers, Annie Jacobsen, took from Detroit to Los Angeles. The WWS Editorial Team debated long and hard about how to handle this information and ultimately we decided it was something that should be shared. | |
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Stephen Pollard: Racial profiling cannot be ignored — This is a fascinating piece about one woman's experience travelling from Detroit... Rivka: Annie Jacobsen, of "Women's Wall Street.com," is ready to oblige. If you read World O'Crap, and you should, you're already familiar with the story. Donald Sensing: Number One on Google — As of this posting time, this site in in first place on Google for searcing Northwest Flight... |
Dean Esmay: Annie Jacobsen's Followup — Last week, many of us were moved by Annie Jacobsen's article, Terror in the Skies. Michelle Malkin: THE SAGA CONTINUES — Via Michael Smerconish's radio show this morning, we learn that Annie Jacobsen will be posting a... |
Learning to Think, and Live By / NYT — Permalink A few years ago, I taught a course at Yale. Over dinners, I'd listen to my students talk about their other courses, and in many of these conversations there was one that stood out: Grand Strategy. For many students, this yearlong course was not just a class, but a life-altering event. | |
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Fontana Labs: Brooks' latest is the inspiring tale of Charles Hill and Molly Worthen, a pupil turned biographer. The Big Trunk: David Brooks briefly introduces Professor Hill in his New York Times column today, and explores his impact on one of his students: "Learning to think, and live." QD @SouthernAppeal: Great Profs: Interesting David Brooks column today. On one level, it's a nice tribute to a Yale prof he obviously admires. |
Betsy Newmark: David Brooks has a nice tribute to one of his professors and how that professor inspired students to be independent thinkers. Ezra Klein: Next is Brooks with an apolitical column on a great teacher he knew. Ken Masugi: David Brooks on a Truly Liberal Education — Brooks describes his discontent students at Yale and notes their hunger for practical application of theory. |
Measure to Outlaw Flag Burning Advances in Senate By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw the burning of the American flag won the approval on Tuesday of a Senate Judiciary Committee split largely along party lines. | |
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Gary Farber: THE MENACE OF OUR TIMES is being addressed again. Yes, a budget plan to pay back the national debt is at hand. Jonathan H. Adler: BURN THIS AMENDMENT — With judicial nominations in limbo, the potential implosion of the federal sentencing guidelines,... |
Steve Dillard: From the "I could not agree more" files: Preach on, Professor Adler! |
UN Assembly Tells Israel to Tear Down Barrier By / Reuters — Permalink UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Israel must obey a World Court ruling and tear down its West Bank barrier, the U.N. General Assembly demanded in a resolution adopted by an overwhelming vote on Tuesday. | |
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Captain Ed: UN Admonishes Israel Defence While Ignoring Palestinian Terror — Proving once again its uselessness as a partner... |
Charles Johnson: And Israel must immediately cease oppressing the Islamic killers, by tearing down the defensive barrier that has been... |
Liberals Step Up Political Assault Against Fox News By / WSJ — Permalink During presidential election years, conservative politicians have often attacked the media for their liberal bias. But during this year's campaign, liberals are fighting back with what they see as a powerful issue — the alleged conservative slant of the Fox News Channel, a unit of the media conglomerate News Corp. | |
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Kevin T. Keith: The Independent Media Institute has also challenged Fox's trademark in the slogan. Nick Confessore: So you won't be surprised to learn I don't think much of this lawsuit, filed yesterday against FOX by MoveOn.org and... |
Matt Welch: The Left and Laughter — When they say the Left has no sense of humor, and is addicted to lawsuits & government... Taegan Goddard: Liberals Take on Fox News — The Wall Street Journal runs a very interesting story about "the political assault" liberals are waging against Fox News. |
What Really Happened on Flight 327? NYT — Permalink "We interviewed all 14 of these individuals,'' Mr. Adams said. " They were members of a Syrian band" traveling to a gig at a casino near Los Angeles, he said, adding that their names were run through "every possible" data bank and terrorist watch list. | |
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The Big Trunk: Band on the run — Michelle Malkin notes today's New York Times story by Joe Sharkey on the Jacobsens' June 29 Northwest... Rod Dreher: Michelle Malkin links to it, and publishes a fascinating letter to the Times cc'd to her by its author. Daniel Drezner: LAST UPDATE: Joe Sharkey discusses Jacobsen's story in his "On the Road" column in the New York Times. |
Donald Sensing: Joe Sharkey of the NY Times wrote about the flight today. He spoke with Mr. and Ms. Jacobsen and Federal Air Marshal Service spokesman Dave Adams. Michelle Malkin: STRIKE UP THE BAND — The New York Times ran a piece today by Joe Sharkey purporting to report on "What Really Happened"... |
Cheney Urges Cap on Malpractice Awards By / WaPo — Permalink Vice President Cheney, with a swipe at his Democratic trial-lawyer counterpart, yesterday blamed rising health care costs on "runaway litigation" and promoted a $250,000 cap on medical malpractice awards as the central tenet of the White House program to improve access, affordability and quality of care. | |
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Dwight Meredith: Big Savings — The Washington Post reports on a Dick Cheney speech in which he blames rising health care costs on... Ross Silverman: I'm not sure if you've heard this, but there are a few people who would like you to know that, before becoming a... |
David Allan Pell: Call an Ambulance: The Judge Hit Me With His Gavel — Dick Cheney is releasing statements (which sort of makes up for... |
Ashcroft: Berger 9/11 Docs Reveal Clinton Security Lapse NewsMax.com — Permalink A sensitive after-action report on the foiled Millennium bomb plot, portions of which allegedly were pilfered by former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, sounded the alarm that al-Qaida operatives had entered the U.S. and were preparing to strike. | |
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C. D. Harris: This isn't Democratic Underground, so Berger will not be automatically assumed to have been trying to cover up some... |
Glenn Reynolds: MORE: Here's a report on the missing after-action documents and what they said — apparently, something embarrassing for the Clinton Administration. |
Warner: New Report Backs Iraq WMD Claims AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - An upcoming report will contain "a good deal of new information" backing up the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein pursued weapons of mass destruction, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said Tuesday. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Senator John Warner, the Einstein who arranged the Reverend Moon ceremony at the Capitol, is now spilling information... |
Hindrocket: Survey Group Report to Support WMD Claims — Senator John Warner says that the report of the Iraq Survey Group due in... |
The Present Danger WaPo — Permalink The successful handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi people last month offers fresh hope for stability and democracy in their country, but it could also mark a turning of the tide in the world war against terrorism. | |
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Todd Pearson: Today, in the Washington Post, Lieberman and Senator Jon Kyl announced the "relaunch" of "the Committee on the Present... James Joyner: The Present Danger — Joe Lieberman and Jon Kyl announce today the reconstitution of an old project: [snipped quote] They're right, of course. |
Laura Rozen: Oy Vey II. The resurrection of the Committee on the Present Danger? My first reaction is to giggle. |
Labor Department Launches Web Site to Help the Homeless U.S. Newswire — Permalink Contact: Mike Biddle of the U.S. Department of Labor, 202-693-5051 WASHINGTON, July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ — The Department of Labor (DOL) today launched a Web site to help America's homeless find jobs through mainstream as well as targeted training, education and placement services and to provide a vital link to government- wide resources. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Fixing the Homeless Problem: Give Them a Website — David Sirota of American Progress informs us that instead of filling... |
Kos: Labor Dept. launches website for homeless — David Sirota passes on this, er, interesting item: [snipped quote] And no, it's not from the Onion. |
President Says U.S. to Examine Iran-Qaeda Tie By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 19 - President Bush said on Monday that the United States was actively investigating ties between the Iranian government and Al Qaeda, including intelligence unearthed by the independent Sept. 11 commission showing that Iran may have offered safe passage to terrorists who were later involved in the attacks. | |
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James Joyner: NYT - President Says U.S. to Examine Iran-Qaeda Tie "President Bush said on Monday that the United States was actively... Tim Dunlop: Mind your "Ns" and "Qs" — This has got to be the best quote of the year so far: [snipped quote] He just wanted to make that perfectly clear. |
Kevin Raybould: Investigating Iran: More Bush Incompetence — Bush now says that the US will investigate the evidence the 9/11... KJL: SOMEONE PLEASE CHECK ON MICHAEL LEDEEN — He's liable to faint when he sees above the fold on page one of the New York... |
Additional Program Speakers Announced for the 2004 Republican National Convention U.S. Newswire — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ — Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and Bill Harris, CEO of the 2004 Republican National Convention, today announced a second group of program speakers to address the nation from Madison Square Garden at the 2004 Republican National Convention. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: THE THEOCONS WILL SPEAK: Anti-gay crusaders, Brownback and Santorum, will now be given speaking slots at the GOP Convention. |
KJL: They've added Santorum and Brownback to the convention lineup (see here). |
Kerry set to disburse millions, get US funds By / Boston Globe — Permalink John F. Kerry is poised to take federal campaign money once he is nominated for the presidency next week, according to top campaign finance advisers, a move that will allow him to disburse millions of dollars in leftover campaign cash to Democratic Party operations, effectively augmenting the $75 million he will receive in federal funds. | |
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Captain Ed: Kerry To Repay Self From Campaign Donations — Today's Boston Globe reports that John Kerry has finally decided to repay... Taegan Goddard: Kerry "also plans to repay himself" for a $6.4 million loan he gave to his campaign, the Boston Globe reports. |
Hugh Hewitt: Two other stories: John Kerry is going to use campaign contributions to repay himself for the loan he took out on his... |
Governors Join as 'Big Four' to Pool Clout NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 19 - It is a lobbying dream team that calls itself The Big Four: a Hollywood star turned politician, a formidable East Coast fund-raiser, a close friend of the president and the president's little brother. | |
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James Joyner: Governors Join as 'Big Four' to Pool Clout — NYT - Governors Join as 'Big Four' to Pool Clout [snipped quote] Very interesting. Taegan Goddard: Big Four Fight Back — The New York Times reports on "a lobbying dream team that calls itself The Big Four: a Hollywood... |
Ezra Klein: Downticket Disaster — Something worth thinking about: [snipped quote] Those 43 million people, that one-third of the GDP, it's controlled completely by Republicans. |
Kerry Details Strategy to Fight Terror By / Kerry for President Press Room — Permalink In the first of a series of foreign policy speeches, the Democrat highlights need to rebuild alliances and to reduce the reliance on foreign oil. Democratic presidential hopeful John F. Kerry on Thursday began outlining his strategy for protecting the... | |
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Stefan Sharkansky: Of course, according to the Kerry campaign, Berger was not merely an "informal adviser", but, among other things, a "Kerry surrogate", "Kerry foreign policy advisor Samuel R. " James Joyner: Sandy Berger Probed in Terror Memos — AP - Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos "President Clinton's national... |
Jeff Goldstein: A: A former Clinton national security adviser and current John Kerry campaign advisor with a 400 lb. carniverous cat stuffed somewhere in his pants. **** h/t ASV Glenn Reynolds: (Via TLM — and via the TLM comments you can see this item from Kerry's website in which Berger serves as a spokesman). |
Iraqis bullish on stocks By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD — The miniature Liberty Bell clanged. Elbows flew. Sweat poured down foreheads. Sales tickets were passed and, with a flick of the wrist, 10,000 shares of the Middle East Bank had more than doubled in value. | |
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Julian Sanchez: I'm Buying RPG Futures — Via Tyler Cowen, I see that the Iraqi stock market is open for business. Want to open your own investment account? |
Tyler Cowen: Here is the full story. Recall that not long ago, Iraq opened up markets in government securities. |
Basic Training Doesn't Guard Against Insurance Pitch to G.I.'s By / NYT — Permalink Nicholas Stachler was 19 years old when he reported for basic training with the Army at Fort Benning, Ga., before shipping out for 11 months to Iraq. A gentle, trusting man, he had only weeks earlier graduated from high school with a handful of trophies in hockey and soccer, middling grades and hardly a clue about how to handle his money. | |
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Stryker: Say it Ain't So! Insurance scams in the military? Say it ain't so! Gary Farber: SCUMBUCKETS. [snipped quote] In case you've forgotten, this man was talked up as a likely candidate, in 2000, to be George W. Bush's running mate. |
Phillip Carter: The grifting of America's troops — Diana Henriques has a brilliantly researched and written piece on the insurance and... Jason Van Steenwyk: Snake Oil in the Barracks — The New York Times has this extensive article on predatory financial product sales practices targeting troops. |
Shooing Away an Anonymice By / Slate — Permalink New York Times Public Editor Daniel Okrent banged his head against the wall two weeks ago with a column in which he challenged the editors of the Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press to... | |
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Holden: Just Say No to Background Briefings — A refreshing tale of how real journalists operate. |
Howard Kurtz: Slate's Jack Shafer finds it's possible for journalists to Just Say No, "as reporters in Omaha, Neb., proved last week. |
Bush, CIA at Odds on Iran LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush said Monday that his administration was investigating possible links between Iran and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a statement that distanced the president from acting CIA Director John McLaughlin, who had downplayed a possible connection a day earlier. | |
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James Joyner: The LA Times version of the story, "Bush, CIA at Odds on Iran," emphasizes the divergence between the Administration and DCI McLaughlin. Natasha @PacificViews: The president is now fishing for terror links with Iran, once again, against the advice of the CIA: [snipped quote] I'm sorry, didn't we already do this once? |
Howard Kurtz: The interim head of the CIA, meanwhile, hasn't Gotten With The Program writes the Los Angeles Times: "President Bush... |
W.'s Double Binds NRO — Permalink He can't win — even if he does! Sometimes a political figure becomes so hated that he can't do anything right in the eyes of his enemies. President Bush has achieved this rare and exalted status. His critics are so blinded by animus that the internal consistency of their attacks on him no longer matters. | |
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Mike Hendrix: Simpson's Paradox — I've said it myself here plenty of times, but Rich Lowry has it completely nailed |
Jeff Goldstein: The New Dispensation — NR's Rich Lowry has an amusing take on "W's Double-binds": [snipped quote] And etc., and etc. |
U.S. claim of terror cases in Iowa raises doubt Omaha World-Herald — Permalink DES MOINES (AP) - Federal prosecutors claim they built 35 terrorism-related cases in Iowa in the two years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, but most of the defendants have questionable links to violent extremism. | |
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Nick Confessore: As this article, via Atrios, notes, one way to do it is to claim that any instance in which people of Arab or Middle... |
Pie: Ashcroft sure is doing a great job, isn't he? Link. |
The Church of Bush By / Village Voice — Permalink Here are some things that Christopher Nunneley, a conservative activist in Birmingham, Alabama, believes. That some time in June, apparently unnoticed by the world media, George Bush negotiated an end to the civil war in Sudan. | |
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Tbogg: You know . . . morons. Rick Perlstein on the True Believers: The vibe at my next stop is different. |
Rickheller @Centerfield: He sent me a link to a new piece of a Daniel in the Lion's Den nature, about attending a Bush house party. |
'It was an innocent decade' By / Guardian — Permalink What people forget is that, in the 1960s, we were emerging from the war. There had been a long period of restriction and austerity, and suddenly all that changed. I remember, in the US, going into the first supermarket I'd ever seen and being amazed by the plenitude and cornucopia. | |
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Scott Burgess: Note to Politicians of all Parties: Please do not mention the 1960s in any context, lest the public be subjected to yet... |
Harry @HarrysPlace: Update: Here are some people getting very defensive about the 1960's. As someone whose youth decade was the 1980's I do find all this generational loyalty rather odd. |
Aladdin expels Ronstadt after political remarks By / Las Vegas Sun — Permalink Aladdin President Bill Timmins ordered security guards to escort pop diva Linda Ronstadt off the property following a concert Saturday night during which she expressed support for controversial documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. | |
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H.D. Miller: You're No Good — For some reasons, the news today took a break from it's usual diet of misery, pessimism, and despair,... Jeralyn Merritt: The Las Vegas Sun reports she got equal amounts of cheers and jeers. Damian Penny: And Linda Rondstadt was booed off stage in Vegas for saying how much she loved Fahrenheit 9/11. |
The Big Trunk: The Sun's story is "Aladdin expels Ronstadt after political remarks." James Joyner: Las Vegas Sun - Aladdin expels Ronstadt after political remarks "Aladdin President Bill Timmins ordered security guards... Smash: "The Most Exciting Part of the Show" — LINDA RONSTADT held her last performance at the Aladdin casino in Las Vegas last night, and lucky Jerry Fink of the Las Vegas Sun was there. |
| Also: Betsy Newmark, Charles Johnson | |
Blow to France's 35-hour week law By / Financial Times — Permalink French workers at a car components factory owned by Bosch on Monday dealt a blow to the country's law limiting the working week to 35 hours, as they unilaterally accepted demands from the private German automotive group to work longer for the same pay. | |
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Steve Antler: How to reduce labor cost by 2.86%... I know this will be touted as "retreat from welfare state" but the more important message is how much smarter than government are the workers. |
Tyler Cowen: The earthquake in France — Or should that read man bites dog? Get this: [snipped quote] But alas, it may not be as radical as you think. |
Charter plans may face suit By / Detroit News — Permalink The Detroit Federation of Teachers says it will pursue legal action if Central Michigan University and other universities take advantage of a change in state law originally intended to help philanthropist Bob Thompson build 15 new charter high schools in Detroit. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Joanne Jacobs links to another story about how the teacher unions are working to destroy any innovation in schools that isn't under their control. |
Joanne Jacobs: Fighting charters — The Detroit Federation of Teachers is threatening to sue if Michigan universities sponsor charter schools, as allowed under a new state law. |
Clinton's Former Aide Drops Windfall in the Lap of Bush Campaign DEBKAfile — Permalink Former president Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is under criminal investigation and subject to FBI searches of his home and his office since he was caught - probably by hidden cameras - purloining copies of highly classified terrorism... | |
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Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: More on Berger: "The Berger affair is pennies from heaven for the Bush presidential campaign . . . . |
Steve Antler: UPDATE III: Debkafile's take on the subject: "According to DEBKAfile's sources, Berger removed his notes from Middle... |
The Kerry Campaign's One-Word Weapon By / WaPo — Permalink There is seemingly no charge the Bush campaign can level against John F. Kerry that will not produce a one-word retort: Halliburton. Kerry's proposed tax increases? Halliburton. Kerry's vote against Iraq war spending? Halliburton. | |
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Tim Dunlop: Mysterious way and means 2 — There was a little piece in this morning's WaPo noting that the White House was denying... Captain Ed: Milbank: A Day Late And A Dollar Short — Dana Milbank may already be regretting the column he wrote for tomorrow's... |
Betsy Newmark: Captain Ed links to this story about the one word argument that the Kerry campaign hopes will cover everything. Halliburton. |
Chirac tells Sharon he is not welcome in France: TV AFP — Permalink French President Jacques Chirac informed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon he is not welcome in Paris after he urged all French Jews to leave the country immediately, Israeli television reported. | |
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Deacon: The French President has informed Sharon that he is no longer welcome in Paris. One wonders how welcome Sharon ever was there. Sylvain Galineau: Jacques A Dit — Ever the nuanced, diplomatic head of state, Jacques Chirac is so offended by accusations of French anti-semitism that Ariel Sharon is not welcome there anymore. KJL: SHARON IS NOT WELCOME IN FRANCE — I'm guessing that isn't breaking his heart. |
Fred Lapides: "(As if he had been before...) French President Jacques Chirac informed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon he is not..." James Joyner: Chirac Tells Sharon He's Not Welcome in France — Chirac tells Sharon he is not welcome in France: TV [snipped quote] One... Glenn Reynolds: THE TRUTH HURTS: "French President Jacques Chirac informed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon he is not welcome in... |
Sudan is getting away with murder By / Telegraph — Permalink 'Where are the Kiplings of today to rouse public opinion?" my anguished colleagues on the Leader page asked yesterday apropos Sudan. " Do we humanitarians care less about Darfur than our imperialist ancestors would have done? "The answer to that second one is: yes. | |
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Dale Franks: Sudan: The UN Leaps Into Inaction — Mark Steyn writes that the situation in Sudan shows how horribly broken the UN is. Betsy Newmark: Mark Steyn will really get hate mail now. He dares to call for a Kipling of today to take up the white man's burden to end the genocide in Sudan. |
Damian Penny: Quote of the Day — Mark Steyn on Darfur and the UN: The USAF could target and bomb the Janjaweed as effectively as they did the Taliban. |
FBI Probes Clinton Advisor Berger CBS News — Permalink (AP) President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a criminal investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned. | |
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Donald Sensing: And, so reports go, Berger stuffed notes he made from the documents into his pants. NB: that means the notes were just as secret as the source documents. Stefan Sharkansky: This Associated Press headline is interesting enough: "FBI Probes Clinton Advisor Berger" "President Clinton's national... |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Sandy Berger Caught Stealing Classified Documents — [snipped quote] Link. There's no excuse for this, if true. |
Cleland: Bush's Pitch on Iraq a 'Pack of Lies' AP — Permalink Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland (search), who is working to elect John Kerry (search), accused President Bush (search) on Monday of feeding Congress and the American people "a pack of lies" as justification for the war in Iraq. | |
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Blackfive: Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski decorated the sergeant for his actions...NewsFlash to Max Cleland: Mongolia is NOT a mountain in Georgia. |
Steven Den Beste: And please examine this report regarding Senator Max Cleland. In what way does his position really differ from that of Mr. Bancroft-Hinchey? |
Vegas Casino Boots Singer Linda Ronstadt AP — Permalink LAS VEGAS - Singer Linda Ronstadt (news) not only got booed, she got the boot after lauding filmmaker Michael Moore and his new movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" during a performance at the Aladdin hotel-casino. | |
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Tim Blair: Seventies musical identity and former gubernatorial love toy Linda Ronstadt wows 'em in Vegas: "Singer Linda Ronstadt... Roger L. Simon: On the surface (and probably below the surface too) the brouhaha over Linda Ronstadt getting the boot is about as trivial, given the affairs of our day, as it gets. The Big Trunk: You're no good — The AP reports today's feel-good story, an inspirational application of Laura Ingraham's "shut up and... |
Christopher Kanis: IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE GOING TO LAS VEGAS — Try and stay at The Aladdin. Captain Ed: Ronstadt misjudged her Las Vegas audience and tried to inject politics into her act during an encore, but the audience... Jonah Goldberg: From the AP "LAS VEGAS - Singer Linda Ronstadt not only got booed, she got the boot after lauding filmmaker Michael... |
| Also: Charles Johnson, Joe Gandelman | |
Arab women singers complicit in rape, says Amnesty report Guardian — Permalink While African women in Darfur were being raped by the Janjaweed militiamen, Arab women stood nearby and sang for joy, according to an Amnesty International report published yesterday. The songs of the Hakama, or the "Janjaweed women" as the refugees call them, encouraged the atrocities committed by the militiamen. | |
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Damian Penny: The problem is, by the time you've gone through the UN, everyone's dead. [emphasis added] In a related story, here's an... |
Charles Johnson: Arab Women Singers Complicit in Rape — A story of mind-numbing horror from Sudan: Arab women singers complicit in rape, says Amnesty report. |
Las Vegas casino boots singer Linda Ronstadt after performance San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink (07-19) 11:24 PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) — Singer Linda Ronstadt not only got booed, she got the boot after lauding filmmaker Michael Moore and his new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11 during a performance at the Aladdin hotel-casino. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: The Associated Press only reports that Ronstadt got jeered. The Las Vegas Sun reports she got equal amounts of cheers and jeers. |
David Allan Pell: Linda Ronstadt was booed of stage after she praised Michael Moore as a "great American patriot." |
50G FOR '03 SLAY CLUES By / New York Post — Permalink The father of a young man gunned down in front of his college buddy's Lower East Side apartment nearly two years ago has launched a Web site and upped the reward for finding his son's killer. | |
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Blackfive: The New York Post recently featured an article about Burke and Mark's quest to find the killer(s). Here's where you can help. Joe Gandelman: An item on her site points to to a New York Post story today that says: [snipped quote] You can also find extensive info on this case on O'Brien's special site by clicking here. Michelle Malkin: Burke's story will be the subject of tomorrow's episode of NYPD 24/7. Michele is asking other bloggers to spread the word. |
Jeff Goldstein: Help Wanted — Help blogger Mark O'Brien find his son's killer. You can read his story here, in the New York Post. Bill @INDCJournal: Blogosphere APB — A father searches for his son's killer: The father of a young man gunned down in front of his college... |
The double binds of George W. Bush By / Townhall.com — Permalink Sometimes a political figure becomes so hated that he can't do anything right in the eyes of his enemies. President Bush has achieved this rare and exalted status. His critics are so blinded by animus that the internal consistency of their attacks on him no longer matters. | |
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Norbizness: Owner of Velvet 12-Sided Dice Pouch: President Bush is screwed no matter what he does, and it's all [sniff] the fault of you who pay attention to what he does. |
Betsy Newmark: Rich Lowry has a spot on column about how the Left hates Bush so much that he's in a double bind and they'll despise him... |
Democrats Scramble in Crowded Ga. Primary By / AP — Permalink Democrats seeking to replace retiring Georgia Sen. Zell Miller are looking for anything to lift themselves out of the obscurity of the eight-person race, even if it means resorting to personal attacks on their rivals ahead of Tuesday's primary. | |
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Betsy Newmark: The Georgia Democratic candidates for Zell Miller's Senate seat are competing to see if they can match the fun and games in Illinois' race. |
Captain Ed: Democrats Self-Destruct In Georgia — The Republicans who hope to take over retiring Senator Zell Miller's Georgia seat... |
Ronstadt Praises 'Fahrenheit,' Gets Booed AP — Permalink LAS VEGAS — Singer Linda Ronstadt (search) not only got booed, she got the boot after lauding filmmaker Michael Moore and his new movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" (search) during a performance at the Aladdin hotel-casino. | |
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James Joyner: Vegas Casino Boots Linda Ronstadt — YahooNews (AP) - Vegas Casino Boots Singer Linda Ronstadt Fox News (AP) - Ronstadt... Hugh Hewitt: Linda Rondstadt praises Moore and gets booed off the stage and right out of the Alladin Casino in Vegas. Maybe she can play Caracas. |
Dale Franks: Shut up and Sing — Linda Rondstadt will no longer be welcome as a performer at the Aladdin in Las Vegas. |
Cleland Attacks Bush NRO — Permalink The former senator goes ballistic. Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, a close friend and supporter of presidential candidate John Kerry, today launched into a blistering attack against President Bush. | |
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McQ: Cleland repeats the "Big Lie" — The more I read about Max Cleland, the more I'm of the opinion that he's become slightly deranged since the loss of his senate seat. Captain Ed: UPDATE: Byron York files a report from the White House on Cleland's comments, noting that Cleland really missed this... |
C. D. Harris: Two Peas In A Pod — I, for one, am entirely unsurprised to see Max Cleland coming on to replace Joe Wilson as the Kerry campaign's replacement "Bush Lied!" attack dog. Steve Dillard: Cleland Attacks Bush—The former senator goes ballistic: This kind of nonsense—and not some ad Saxby ran—is why Maxy Cleland lost his senate seat. |
The Discovery of Iran NRO — Permalink Are you sitting down? Iran is a terrorist state. The organizers of the Council on Foreign Relations special task force to promote the appeasement of Iran must be cursing their uncommonly bad luck. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: But until that's conclusively disproven, I'll have to reserve the right to go all Mike Ledeen on you... ...until then, jaw jaw! Laura Rozen: [Meanwhile, Michael Ledeen's take on the media's reaction to the 9/11 commission's allegation Iran gave safe passage to... |
Andrew Sullivan: Michael Ledeen summed up the way the Bushies have responded to serious evidence of Iranian malice over the years: "You... Glenn Reynolds: But Michael Ledeen has a piece out today, and he's not gloating as much as, well, I might have. Well, maybe he is: "What a surprise! |
The Immigrant Gang Plague By / City Journal — Permalink Before immigration optimists issue another rosy prognosis for America's multicultural future, they might visit Belmont High School in Los Angeles's overwhelmingly Hispanic, gang-ridden Rampart district. | |
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Michelle Malkin: Read "The Immigrant Gang Plague" here. An excerpt: [snipped quote] More Mac Donald: The Burden of Bad Ideas Are Cops Racist? Tom Smith: Hispanic gang culture — This is a disturbing article. In the City Journal via RCP. |
Greg Ransom: MORE Heather Mac Donald "The Immigrant Gang Plague". Dale Franks: Open Borders — Heather MacDonald's article on illegal immigration in the current issue of City Journal concludes: [snipped quote] Assimilation. |
Democrats give Nader ultimatum By / AP — Permalink LANSING — The Michigan Democratic Party said Friday it would file federal election complaints against Ralph Nader over what it calls illegal and excessive contributions unless Nader withdraws from the Michigan ballot as an independent candidate. | |
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Captain Ed: Democrats Try A Little Extortion On Nader In Michigan — Michigan Democrats have issued an ultimatum to the Ralph Nader... Taegan Goddard: "But Michigan Republican Party officials handed in 43,000 petition signatures on Thursday — far more than the 30,000... |
Ezra Klein: And in the end, how can your campaign retain any sense of dignity when you're just the unwilling dirty trick of the GOP? |
NEW DETAILS SURFACE By / New Yorker — Permalink Vice President Dick Cheney cursed at Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat, in a confrontation on the Senate floor while members were having their annual group picture taken earlier this week. | |
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Robert Clayton Dean: The Washington Times reported this as follows: [snipped quote] The New Yorker, well, took it to the next level. Greg @BeggingToDiffer: THE NEW YORKER ON CHENEY VS. LEAHY — For those of you who are interested in what really went down between Vice... Susan Madrak: BRINGING OUT DA FUNK — What really happened between Cheney and Leahy? |
Jesse Walker: Cheney Gets Served — The New Yorker gives the first full account of the infamous Leahy-Cheney exchange on the Senate floor. Belle Waring: When Cheney Is On The Mic, It's Like a Cookie, They All Crumble — The New Yorker has the inside scoop on what really ocurred when Dick Cheney threw down on Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D. Natasha @PacificViews: The day after which, you, Mr. President, will surely look closely into the shady dealings of Halliburton, and... oh, just go Cheney yourself. |
| Also: Tom Maguire, Joe Gandelman, Ezra Klein, Holden, C. D. Harris, James Joyner | |
Sixteen Truthful Words By / NYT — Permalink "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." — George W. Bush, State of the Union address, Jan. | |
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Wretchard: Following on the recent revelations that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson lied to discredit the Bush administrations... Tom Maguire: Geez, Matt, People Make Mistakes — The always interesting Matt Yglesias goes off on the latest William Safire column:... Matthew Yglesias: WAS, WAS NOT, WHATEVER. What is Bill Safire talking about? [snipped quote] This business about Joe Wilson is a red herring. |
Susanna Cornett: "I'll let William Safire, in a column in The New York Times on July 19, tell you the bad news about just how much honesty..." Stefan Beck: Thank you, Mr. Safire, for putting that one to bed: [snipped quote] Pejman has linked to a few other intriguing bits on the matter. Holden: Let the White House Speak for Itself — Today William Safire coughed, rolled out of bed, and spat out a column... |
| Also: Steven Taylor, Glenn Reynolds, James Joyner, Tim Blair, Betsy Newmark, Laura Rozen, KJL, Hugh Hewitt, Gregory Djerejian | |
The 'Bush Lied' folks can't be taken seriously By / Townhall.com — Permalink Official reports issued the last two weeks have conclusively refuted those who have been arguing that "BUSH LIED" about the dangers from Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction programs. The first report was that of the Senate Intelligence Committee. | |
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Norbizness: Savant Who Can Recite 5-Digit Prime Numbers, But Can't Tie His Own Shoes: Bush can never lie so long as I believe that he believes all that s**t. Dale Franks: Bush Lied? Michael Barone writes that the Bush Lied crowd has lost all credibility. The last few weeks haven't been very good for the "Bush Lied" crowd. James Joyner: Michael Barone is more to the point with his piece, "The 'Bush Lied' folks can't be taken seriously." |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: WHO'S LYING NOW? Michael Barone calls out the real fabulists in our body politic. Glenn Reynolds: Michael Barone has more on the collapse of the "Bush Lied" argument: "So much for the wild charges that Bush manipulated intelligence and lied about weapons of mass destruction. The Big Trunk: His column is "The Bush lied folks can't be taken seriously." |
| Also: Betsy Newmark | |
Bloggers Are the Sizzle, Not the Steak By / LAT — Permalink The Democrats and the Republicans are inviting a limited number of bloggers — those witty, candid, irreverent, passionate, shrewd and outrageous Internet chroniclers — to their 2004 conventions. | |
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SK Bubba: (I wonder if there will be any debate as to whether he is a "real journalist"?) David Adesnik: KEEPING UP WITH JONES: Joe Gandelman has posted a very thoughtful response to Alex Jones' anti-blog temper tantrum in the LA Times. Daniel Drezner: Good — this is exactly the kind of story that merits further inquiry by "real" journalists — you know, as opposed to... |
Jeralyn Merritt: What Bloggers Bring to the Convention — Salon writer Geraldine Sealey picks up on the friction caused by Alex Jones'... Rickheller @Centerfield: (Note to Alex S. Jones - I haven't been paid to promote this documentary. All I got was iced tea and a slice of apple pie.) Jay Rosen: Alex S. Jones, of Harvard's Kennedy School, a former reporter for the New York Times, and a biographer of newspaper... |
| Also: Pejman Yousefzadeh, James Joyner, Robert Cox, David Allan Pell, Clayton Cramer, Jeff Goldstein, Patrick Belton, Jeff Jarvis, Jon Henke, Jonah Goldberg, Captain Ed, Joe Gandelman, Matt Welch, Glenn Reynolds, Timothy Wheeler | |
Taking Power By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Another fortnight in Iraq, another fortnight's worth of news about terrorism, hostages, military and civilian casualties, faulty intelligence in the run-up to war, and the problems of reconstruction, as our mainstream media continue to focus overwhelmingly on bad news from the Mesopotamian quagmire. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Iraq-Vietnam-Bosnia: the readers have their say — I've been reading comments from the readers of the "Good news from... Dale Franks: Good News from Iraq — Arthur Cherenkoff rounds up a collection of positive signs from the newly sovereign (legally, at least) Iraq. Tim Blair: NEWS SO NICE WE'LL RUN IT TWICE — Arthur Chrenkoff's excellent Good News from Iraq makes it to the Wall Street Journal! |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE POWER OF THE BLOGOSPHERE — While Alex Jones moves Heaven and Earth to try to deride blogs as "the sizzle, not the... Smash: Finally, the Good News — ARTHUR CHERENKOFF has a comprehensive round-up of good news from Iraq, in today's Wall Street... Betsy Newmark: Arthur Chrenkoff has a column in the Wall Street Journal about overlooked good news from Iraq. |
| Also: Sadly @SadlyNo, Dean Esmay, Andrew Olmsted | |
PM admits graves claim 'untrue' Observer — Permalink Downing Street has admitted to The Observer that repeated claims by Tony Blair that '400,000 bodies had been found in Iraqi mass graves' is untrue, and only about 5,000 corpses have so far been uncovered. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: MASS GRAVES IN IRAQ — We are told in this piece—which uses the traditional British journalistic method of relying... Kevin Drum: MASS GRAVES...Does this matter? [snipped quote] I suppose the politically correct stance is that murder is murder, and... Tim Dunlop: Why then would Tony Blair feel the need to lie about it and increase the number by a factor of eighty? |
Jonah Goldberg: MASS GRAVES NOT SO MASSIVE — Kevin Drum points to story which says the mass graves in Iraq don't have nearly as many corpses as we've been told. Chris Bowers: Iraqi Mass Graves — Ever since I ran into this Guardian article yesterday, I have been grappling over how to blog it, or even whether I should. Holden: Today it appears that we have been lied to about Saddam's mass graves: [snipped quote] Personally, I'm disgusted by a... |
Go Ahead, Call Us Cowboys Opinion Journal — Permalink Everywhere, Americans are called "cowboys." On foreign tongues, the reference to America's Western rural laborers is an insult. Cowboys, we are told, plundered the earth, arrogantly rode roughshod over neighbors, and were addicted to mindless violence. | |
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Tom Smith: Read this very nice essay by a Ninth Circuit Judge — Yep. He's nailed it alright. Canada, America, cowboys, the frontier, thumos. Jonah Goldberg: CONTINENTAL DIVIDE — Canada Vs. America up North. By the way, the authors are very cool people. They're friends of my in-laws. Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER UPDATE: I guess it goes with the mindset differences displayed by these two towns, one American, the other Canadian: [snipped quote] Heh. |
Greg Ransom: MORE — "Go Ahead, Call Us Cowboys". Thomas Krannawitter: When I read about Stewart, I was reminded of one of my favorite Ben Franklin quips, that [snipped quote] Andrew and... Steve Antler: Yo, cowboy! Vivid essay on two frontier border towns — one US, one Canadian. |
Schwarzenegger Calls Budget Opponents 'Girlie Men' By / NYT — Permalink LOS ANGELES, July 18 - With his frustration mounting this weekend over his inability to muscle a budget through the Legislature, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called his Democratic opponents "girlie men" and vowed to work to unseat them in November. | |
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Tom Smith: I haven't been able to stop crying — I'm so upset. How could he say that? Josh Chafetz: "Schwarzenegger Calls Budget Opponents 'Girlie Men'". (For the record, I disapprove of ad hominem attacks in politics. James Joyner: Update (1200): NYT - Schwarzenegger Calls Budget Opponents 'Girlie Men' [quote] "I call them girlie men," Mr. Schwarzenegger...[end quote] |
C. D. Harris: Don't Everyone Raise Their Hands All At Once, Now — So, apparently the Governator jokingly called the Democrat leaders... Jacob Sullum: Life Imitating Parody — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says state legislators are "girlie men" because they refuse to stand up to special interests by curbing spending. |
Schwarzenegger Calls Dems 'Girlie Men' By / AP — Permalink LOS ANGELES (AP) - A spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Sunday that the governor would not apologize for calling lawmakers "girlie men," despite criticisms from Democrats that the remark was sexist and homophobic. | |
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Tom Maguire: Boys Will Be Boys — Manly Men. Not Manly Men. Thorley Winston: B'rer Arnold versus the Girlie-Men — More silliness in the State of California: "Schwarzenegger dished out the insult... KJL: ARHNULD GETS POUNDED FOR "GIRLIE MEN" COMMENT |
H.D. Miller: I literally laughed out loud when I heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger had called California Democrats "girlie men". James Joyner: Schwarzenegger Calls Dems 'Girlie Men' — AP - Schwarzenegger Calls Dems 'Girlie Men' "A spokesman for Gov. Arnold... |
U.N. OIL $$ LINKED TO IRAQI TERRORISTS By / New York Post — Permalink WASHINGTON — American officials believe that millions of dollars Saddam Hussein skimmed from the scandal-plagued U.N. oil-for-food program are now being used to help fund the bloody rebel campaign against U.S. forces and the new Iraqi government, The Post has learned. | |
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Susanna Cornett: This from the July 19th New York Post: "American officials believe that millions of dollars Saddam Hussein skimmed from... Glenn Reynolds: UNSCAM UPDATE: Claudia Rosett was right — it's not just an oil-for-food scandal, but an oil-for-terror scandal: [snipped quote] We should send Kofi a bill. The Big Trunk: The Post story is "U.N. oil $$ linked to Iraqi terrorists." |
Charles Johnson: UN Oil Dollars Linked to Iraqi Terrorists — According to the NY Post, the money that Saddam and his henchmen skimmed... James Joyner: UN Program Funded Terrorists — NY Post - U.N. OIL $$ LINKED TO IRAQI TERRORISTS [snipped quote] Lovely. Betsy Newmark: Investigators looking into the Oil-for-Food scandal think that the millions scammed from that program are now being used... |